BarkerGilmore Appoints Strategic Advisor and Executive Coach
October 21, 2025 – Boutique search firm BarkerGilmore, which specializes in building corporate legal and compliance teams, has appointed Mary Ann Hynes as a strategic advisor and executive coach. “Mary Ann is one of the most accomplished and respected legal leaders of her generation,” said Bob Barker, managing partner of BarkerGilmore. “Her pioneering career, breadth of industry experience, and proven ability to guide organizations through complex challenges will make her an extraordinary resource for our clients. We are honored to welcome her to our team.”
With more than three decades of Fortune 500 executive leadership, Ms. Hynes has served as general counsel, chief compliance officer, and corporate secretary to five global corporations. She made history as the first woman to hold the general counsel role at a Fortune 500 company, and throughout her career, she has continued to be a first in many respects. Moving across industries such as publishing and big data, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, mining and chemicals, and global food and industrial ingredients, she has repeatedly aligned with new management teams, driven innovation, and created substantial value.
Ms. Hynes most recently served as senior counsel at Dentons, where she used her experience in governance, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and international strategy in counseling clients. Before joining Dentons, she held senior executive roles that combined legal, compliance, ESG/EHS, risk management, government affairs, and corporate governance responsibilities. At Ingredion Incorporated, she oversaw multinational legal operations, regulatory affairs, and board relations, helping lead a transformative acquisition that quadrupled the company’s stock price. At IMC Global, she was instrumental in the merger with Cargill Crop Nutrition that created The Mosaic Company. She also held top legal leadership positions at Sundstrand Corporation, Wolters Kluwer U.S., and CCH Incorporated.
Ms. Hynes has served global boards, including GHD Pty, a leading engineering and consulting company, and Rahfan Maize, an international food and industrial ingredients company. She has also served on the boards of the Dr. Scholl Foundation, John Marshall Law School, the Big Shoulders Fund, Girls Inc. of Chicago, and numerous other service organizations. Her professional leadership includes national and civic organizations such as the Association of Corporate Counsel, the American Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, The Chicago Network, the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Advisory Council, and the Chicago Crime Commission.
Her pioneering career has been recognized with many of the legal profession’s highest honors, including the American Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award, the ABA Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, and the Harvard Center for the Legal Profession Award for Professional Excellence. Inside Counsel and WIPL created the “Mary Ann Hynes Pioneer Award” in her honor, and she received the Chambers Women in Law Award – USA Lawyer of the Year, Private Practice (2015).
At BarkerGilmore, Ms. Hynes will work with leaders to enhance performance and achieve measurable results. She will help general counsel and next-generation legal leaders accelerate career growth, strengthen leadership presence, and navigate transitions with confidence. Clients will benefit from her ability to land quickly, build trust, and apply emotional intelligence in complex environments. She will guide executives to quantify their contributions, approach challenges as opportunities, and develop resilient teams that thrive under pressure. Drawing on her experience leading legal functions through five megamergers, countless acquisitions, and critical dispute resolutions, Ms. Hynes will provide practical insight that prepares leaders to deliver exceptional value and long-term success.
Related: BarkerGilmore Adds Strategic Advisor and Leadership Development Coach
“I have always believed legal leadership is far more than managing risk. It is about driving business success and developing the people around you,” said Ms. Hynes. “Joining BarkerGilmore allows me to share what I’ve learned with the next generation of legal and compliance leaders and to help organizations build resilient, high-performing teams.”
Law and Compliance Experts
BarkerGilmore is a boutique firm specializing in executive search and selection in law and compliance. With a network of advisors and recruiters spanning the U.S., BarkerGilmore consistently places talent at leading consumer, energy, financial, healthcare, industrial, and technology companies.
John Gilmore, co-founder and managing partner, has over 30 years of executive search experience. He has developed trusted relationships with general counsel and C-suite leaders across the country. With a profound institutional understanding of how in-house legal and compliance departments function most effectively, Mr. Gilmore has earned a reputation as one of the top executive search consultants for general counsel and chief compliance officer placements.
Mr. Barker is co-founder, managing partner, and chair of the industrial practice at BarkerGilmore. He brings over three decades of executive search and international business experience to his clients. Mr. Barker has successfully managed general counsel and chief compliance officer engagements for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, including consumer, energy, financial, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, non-profit, technology, and private equity industries. Clients rely on Mr. Barker for advice and counseling both during and after the engagement.
Related: BarkerGilmore Names Senior Advisor
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
